IRON PHARMACIST

A few days ago I had a fun exchange with another pharmacist blogger on Twitter that set the gears in motion for today's post.

Coming to APhA 2012 in New Orleans.........

IRON PHARMACIST AMERICA

Based off of the hit show Iron Chef America, IRON PHARMACIST AMERICA will pit two pharmacy teams against each other to see which team can handle the issues that face community pharmacy on any given day.

Now initially, this may seem totally boring. Who wants to watch pharmacists work? That's where we bring in the competitors. The sitting IRON PHARMACISTS will be everyday pharmacists who face the public on a daily basis. I would personally like to see pharmacists who blog as the IRON PHARMACISTS, but that's only because I would like to hear some of the commentary that may go on.

The challenger would be selected from a pool of pharmacists who seem to be the ones directing the path of pharmacy, but who don't actually see the insides of a pharmacy. Somebody from academia. Maybe one of the pharmacy organizations. Or my preferred challenger... a member of management from one of the pharmacy chains. The challenger will select which IRON PHARMACIST participates in the challenge.

Each team would have a second pharmacist, a cashier, a few techs, an intern, and a non-pharmacy manager who checks in from time to time. After a ten minute organizational meeting, each team will enter Pharmacy Stadium (located in the exposition hall so attendees can view the proceedings) and take their places inside the typical community pharmacy.

Setting for the competition is simple. Friday afternoon/evening at the pharmacy. The contest will last three hours and be recorded to be shown at a general assembly session.

During the competition, each lead pharmacist will be required to conduct one comprehensive medication review with a patient. During the competition, the pharmacy teams will conduct business as usual in a typical community pharmacy.

Of course, there may be some issues that pop-up that require the pharmacist's attention. Things like:

• Forged prescriptions for controlled substances
• Medicare B billing issues
• Family emergency requiring second pharmacist to leave early
• Medicare D eligibility issues
• Visit by the board of pharmacy, FDA, DEA, or local law enforcement
• Unannounced Medicare audit
• Non-pharmacist manager sending staff home for budgetary issues
• Discovery of a dispensing error
• Prescription that requires compounding

These issues would present themselves as the pharmacy team goes about their normal tasks of filling the prescriptions, counseling the patients, making OTC recommendations, and dealing with third-party issues.

After the competition is over, the edited video would be shown to the general assembly and a discussion would follow. It would allow for a discussion of the conditions faced by your typical community pharmacists on any given day, along with the opportunity to address these issues with the people who are "leading" the profession. If this idea is successful, a health-system edition may follow.

Because, face it folks, there is a tremendous disconnect between the pharmacists who are "leading" the profession and the pharmacists who practice the profession. It's time for the pharmacy practitioners to be heard.

There is only one question that needs to be asked.

Do you have what it takes to be the next

IRON PHARMACIST